As wireless networks evolve and grow, there are ongoing challenges in providing high-quality service to increasing numbers of wireless devices or user equipment (UE) in various coverage areas of a wireless network. For example, beamforming is a transmission mode that is used to provide better coverage to wireless devices in specific locations within a coverage area of a cell or access node. A beamforming downlink transmission mode uses multiple antennae to direct or “steer” signals from the antennae towards a particular wireless device or relay node located at, for instance, a cell edge. However, when wireless devices are at certain positions in the coverage area, formed beams directed to those wireless devices can interfere with other wireless devices within the coverage area, thereby degrading performance for the other wireless devices. Although the wireless device receiving the formed beam remains unaffected, the intersecting signals may cause interfere for the other wireless device, particularly when both transmissions utilize the same frequencies. Further, orthogonal frequency-division multiple access based systems, such as LTE, can be prone to such interference between wireless devices in adjacent sectors, as they are commonly deployed with a frequency reuse factor of one.
Overview
Examples of embodiments described herein include systems, methods, and processing nodes for minimizing interference in a wireless network. An example of a method for minimizing interference includes determining that an angle between a first formed beam directed towards a wireless device and a relay signal directed towards a relay node is equal to or is less than a threshold angle. The wireless device operates in a first area of network coverage, and the relay node operates in a second area of the network coverage. The first formed beam interferes with the relay node upon the angle being equal to or less than the threshold angle. The method also includes switching a connection of the relay node from a first access node to a second access node.
An example of a system for minimizing interference in a wireless network includes a processing node and a processor coupled to the processing node. The processor configures the processing node to perform operations including obtaining one or more interference measurements for each of a plurality of angles between a first formed beam directed towards a wireless device in a first area of network coverage and a relay signal directed towards a relay node in a second area of the network coverage. The operations also include determining a threshold angle based at least partially on the one or more interference measurements. The threshold angle defines an angle between the first formed beam and the relay signal that causes the first formed beam to interfere with the relay signal.
An example of a processing node for minimizing interference in a wireless network is configured to perform operations including determining an angle between a first formed beam directed towards a wireless device and a relay signal directed towards a relay node. The wireless device operates in a first area of network coverage and the relay node operates in a second area of the network coverage. The operations also include determining whether the angle between the first formed beam and the relay signal is equal to or is less than a threshold angle. A lobe of the first formed beam interferes with the relay signal when the angle is equal to or is less than the threshold angle. Further, the operations include mitigating interference of the lobe of the first formed beam in response to the angle being equal to or being less than the threshold angle.